Body grounding devices



April 19, 1960 we. LEGGE BODY GROUNDING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 3. 1957 INVENTOR. W417i? 6- 1566 QPW lfl'faz/vt'xi April 19, 1960 w. 3. LEGGE BODY GROUNDING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Shea 2 Filed Sept. 3. 1957 INVEN TOR. 14 417219 4:

I l I Un t d States BODY GROUNDING DEVICES Walter G. Legge, New York, N.Y., assignor to Walter G. Legge Company, Inc., New York, N.Y.,- a corporation of New York Application September 3, 1957, Serial No. 681,735 a Claims.- c1. 317-2) This invention relates to a body grounding, device for conducting electrostatic charges from a person to the ground or supporting surface. ticular reference to a body grounding device which may be readily and securely afiixed to a person and quickly removed and which functions to effectively carry ofi electrostatic charges, and the application is a continuation in part of co-pending application Serial No. 668,392.

An object of the invention is to provide a body grounding device having a conductive tread member affixed to an expansible and contractible band adapted to extend The invention has par-' about a shoe in the region of the instep and which protrudes below the sole and heel for engagement with. the

ground or supporting surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tread member of resilient material impregnated with. a conductive material and which by reason of its resiliency is comfortable to wear. v 7

Still another object of the invention is to connect the conductive tread member with a leg encircling band and an innersole both of which are conductive for carrying off electrostatic charges from the leg and foot of the wearer and for dissipating the same through the tread member to the supporting surface.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a body grounding device of said character in whichthe parts are positioned close to the body of the wearer and grounding device constructed in -accordance with the invention andshowing the same in applied position on a shoe. W

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken approximately on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an under side view of the conductive tread member and the means for attaching the same to a shoe.

Fig; 4 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on line 4--4 of Fig. 3 with the shoe removed.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a modified form of the means for attaching the grounding device to a shoe.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view also similar to Fig.

body of the wearer. The grounding device includes a 2,933,651 a we e A 9 .9.6

10 preferably ent material and impregnatedwith; conductive material such as graphite orcarbon and which by reason resiliency is comfortable to wear. The tread memberelectrostatic chargesfrom the foot and leg of they/caret and for dissipating the same through the tr ead member to the supporting surface. The aforesaid parts are positioned so that the same will notinterfere withtheusual employment of the wearer norbe likely to become entangled in equipment, or machinery about which the wearer m e s sas The tread. member Ibis-attached to a hand 11 adapted to engage about a shoe such as the shoeSso as to dispose the tread member in the region of theinstep and ii -protruding relation below the sole and heel of the shoe and into engagement with. the floor or supporting surface. The band 11 consists of an elastic portion 12 and a strap portion 13 which latter portion is made of woven material and impregnated with a conductive .materialsuch-as graphite or carbon torenderthe; strap conductive of static electricity. The strap portion 13 overlaps the elastic portion 12 at the sides of the shoe and is secured thereto by means of stitching 14. The tread ,ms i afli a me nl el h vis 516W?" .wardly and inwardly directed tongues .16 which are-embedded in' the periphery of the tread member. Jlhe ends 9? hqe a t s Pa don. 1 of -b d are i d. toform loops 17 and securedin loop formationby the stitching 14. ,The loops engage throughopenings 18 in the-plate 15 to connect the-plate with the band. This I positions the plate 15 above the strap 13'with the tongues 16 securing the tread member in position against the under side of the strap as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings.

The band B also includes an elastic member 21 adapted to encircle the le'g. of the wearer adjacent the. knee to dispose the plate in; engagement with the leg of the/ wearer for v conducting. electrostatic charges from the body of the :wearer. The plate 20 and elastic member 21 are provided withinterengageable fastening elements 22 and 23 for releasably securing the plate and band B about the leg of the wearer. ,The; lower end of the conductor is releasably connected with thestrap 13 by means of interengageable stud andsocket mmebers 24 and 25 v A high resistor 26 embedded in insulation 2,7 may; be inserted in the conductor wire 19-to prevent the flgw eta high current to the metal plate 20 in the event that the tread member 10 comes into contact with a. live electric-wire- 10 isconnected: with the 'leg en- The tread member I circling. handh by-1a conductor 191 adaptedto hereleasably secured to the strap 13 and. to a fiat metal plate 20 forming part of the band B[ The tread member 10 is connected also to the innersolegT for conductingele'ctrostajtic charges fromthe foot of the wearer. The innersole T is conductive of electrostatic charges and has a flexible conductive strip 28 sewed or otherwise afiixed to the under side thereof and provided with a snap fastening element 43 adapted to engage the socket member 44 for releasably connecting the .innersole T with the strap 13 which is connected with the tread member 10 as hereinbefore described. The innersole T is removable and is arranged to cover the entire inner face of the sole and heel of the shoe and against the upper face of which the sole and heel of the foot engages.

Instead of fastening the tread member 10 to the band 11 by means of the metal plate 15, the tread member 29 may be afiixed to a band 30 for securing the tread member in position on a shoe as shown in. Figs. 5 and 6 of the strap extending upwardly at the sides thereof and secured to the elastic portion 31 by rivets 33 or equivalent fastening means. A flexible strap 34 is looped tight- "ly about the tread member 29 medially thereof with the ends forming the loops secured to the strap portion 32 of the band 30 by rivets 35 or equivalent fastening means. in this form the strap 34 is fashioned of woven material impregnated with conductive material such as graphite or carbon for carrying off electrostatic charges from the body of the wearer received through the strap 32 and to the ground or supporting surface through the strap 34. Instead of the metal strap 32, a flexible strap 36 'may be employed as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings which is secured to an elastic portion 37 of a band 38 by stitching 39 or equivalent fastening means. In this form also the tread member 40 is secured to the strap 36 by means of a flexible strap 41 similar to the flexible strap 34 in the previous form and which is looped tightly about the tread member and secured to the strap 36 by rivets 42 or equivalent fastening means.

The straps 36 and 41 are fashioned of woven material impregnated with conductive material such as graphite or carbon similar to the straps 13 and 34 in the previous forms of the invention.

In the forms of the invention shown in Figs. and 6 of the drawings the tread members 29 and 40 are preferably of sponge rubber so as to provide a cushioning effect for the tread portions of the straps 34 and 41 respectively.

- A resilient tread member 45 of sponge rubber may also be secured to a band 46 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings for engagement about a shoe of the wearer for disposing the tread member in the region of the instep and between the sole and heel of the shoe. The

tread member 45 is secured in any desired means such as "by stitching 47 to a flexible strap 48 to dispose the strap in underlying relation with the tread member and adapted to engage the ground or supporting surface.

The strap 48 is similar .to the straps 34 and 41 in the previous described forms of the invention and is secured to an elastic portion 49 by stitching 50 or equivalent fastening means as in the forms shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The tread member 45 provides a cushioning eifect for the tread portion of the strap 48.

Each of the forms shown in section in Figs. 5 to-7 inclusive of the drawings includes a stud member 24 for engagement by the socket member 25 of the conductor 19 for connecting the tread portions of the shoe engaging bands with the plate 20 of the leg encircling band B for carrying off electrostatic charges from the body of the wearer.

accidental disengagement of the conductor 19 by the other foot.

While the preferred forms of the invention have been shown and described herein, it is to be understood that the same is not so limited but shall cover and include any and all modifications thereof which fall within the purview of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a body grounding device, a resilient band adapted to encircle the leg of a wearer and having a metal plate for engagement with the leg of the wearer, a band adapted to encircle the fore part of a shoe and extend under the shoe in the region of the instep, said last mentioned band includes a resilient upper strap portion and a flexible conductive lower strap portion aifixed to the resilient upper strap portion at each side of the shoe, a conductive pad of resilient material secured to said conductive strap portion and disposed under the shoe in the region of the instep with the pad projecting below the heel and sole of the shoe, a flexible conductive innersole adapted to overlie the innersole of a shoe, a flexible conductive member aflixed to said innersole with the outer end of said member protruding from the shoe, a conductor connected to said metal plate, and means connecting the lower end of said conductor and the outer end of said flexible conductive member with the conductive lower strap portion of said second mentioned band to thereby electrically connect said first mentioned band and said innersole with said conductive pad.

2. In a body grounding device, a resilient band adapted to encircle the leg of a wearer and having a metal plate for engagement with the leg of the wearer, a band adapted to encircle the fore part of a shoe and extend under the shoe in the region of the instep, said last mentioned band includes a resilient upper strap portion and a flexible conductive lower strap portion aifixed to the resilient upper strap portion at each side of the shoe, a conductive pad of resilient material secured to said conductive lower strap portion and disposed under the shoe in the region of the instep with the pad projecting below the heel and sole of the shoe, a flexible conductive innersole adapted to overlie the innersole of a shoe, a flexible conductive member afiixed to said innersole with the outer end of said member protruding from the shoe, a conductor connected to said metal plate, and interengageable means connecting the lower end of the conductor and the outer end of the flexible conductive member with the conductive lower strap portion of the second mentioned band to thereby electrically connect said first mentioned band and said innersole with said conductive pad and to permit of convenient disconnecting said second mentioned band from said conductor and from the flexible conductive member.

3. In a body grounding device as set forth in claim 2 in which a metal plate provided with inwardly directed tongues connects the conductive pad with .the conductive lower strap portion of said second mentioned band with the inwardly directed tongues embedded in the peripheral wall of the conductive pad.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,940,491 Freitag Dec. 19, 1933 2,712,098 Legge June 28, 1955 2,745,041 Price May 8, 1956 2,785,344 Hines Mar. 12, 1957 

